Page 915 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
this motion to the Assembly. I would just like to say that it has been a great privilege to be able to add my voice to Mr Corbell’s motion.
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Minister for Transport, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Business and Economic Development, Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Minister for the Arts and Heritage) (5.30): I do echo and reiterate the sentiments of my college the minister for emergency services. I pay tribute also today to the great upswelling of the grassroots community support by the people of Canberra through its churches, its schools and its community groups. Our community knows better than most the impact of the catastrophic devastation confronted by towns across a swathe of Victoria.
Many Canberrans have had personal experience of such loss. Many others have seen friends and loved ones personally affected. There would be few Canberrans untouched in some way, large or small, by our own experience with fire in 2003. It was therefore inevitable that our hearts would go out and hands would open and reach out to Victorians.
St Paul’s Manuka, St David’s Red Hill and St Luke’s Deakin, for instance, donated the takings from their 15 February collections. Lake Tuggeranong Lions Club took collections in buckets at retail outlets in Fyshwick on 14 and 15 February. The YMCA donated 10 per cent of the takings from the monster garage sale on 21 February to the fire victims.
Mitchell-Gunghalin Rotary had a sausage sizzle. The Quakers held an open day at the friends meeting house and collected donations. Members of the Charnwood community held a sausage sizzle and raffle at the Charnwood shops. FM stations 104 and 106 ran an appeal for the donation of goods, and 18 containers were loaded by volunteer labour with volunteer drivers freighting the goods to the Salvation Army in Victoria.
The RSPCA sent two mobile vet units to fire-affected areas. ABC Triple 6 listeners donated a total of $11,500 on air during the breakfast program. Our local Indigenous community held “Canberra Cares”, a fundraising concert at Boomanulla oval. The Multicultural Festival and Triple 6 combined for a fundraising concert in Garema Place, which raised over $10,000.
Bunnings staff operated sausage sizzles at their stores, donating all funds raised. Our arts organisations have also opened their hearts and held out their hands. Canberra Rep donated all ticket sales from the 19 February performance of I hate Hamlet.
The Salvation Army was in the foyer at the CAT awards on 21 February, raising over $1,300. Free Rain collected in the foyer at every performance of Guys and Dolls; $5,000 was collected at the CSO proms concert. Canberra’s performing arts community is coming together for a fundraising concert at the Canberra Theatre this Thursday at 7.30. Canberra’s birthday event, Celebrate in the Park, on Monday, 9 March will also be a fundraiser.
Our sporting organisations have shown their generosity also. Softball ACT had bucket collections at their local competitions. The Brumbies raised $77,000 at their match
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .